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Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

Well then the NFL should go to two games a week and double the amount of games in a season, and there should only be one starting pitcher. :eyeroll: Yeah they are professionals, but it isn't like they are playing a nice relaxing sport like bowling. There is a physical toll taken by these players, and it only gets more difficult as they get older (notice Pop is resting his old guys not his young ones). It isn't like high school or college were you play one game a week, so when you do play multiple games within 2 or 3 days you are more physically able to recover quickly. For the most part these guys are playing almost every other day already. That is why you hear about players "taking a night off". It isn't because they are lazy, but because they just can't play that many games in such a compact schedule.

Millions of Americans who work labor intensive jobs eight hours a day, five days a week are calling BS on the inability of professional athletes to go play an hour of basketball after playing 2 hours the night before.

Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

Well then the NFL should go to two games a week and double the amount of games in a season, and there should only be one starting pitcher. :eyeroll: Yeah they are professionals, but it isn't like they are playing a nipce relaxing sport like bowling. There is a physical toll taken by these players, and it only gets more difficult as they get older (notice Pop is resting his old guys not his young ones). It isn't like high school or college were you play one game a week, so when you do play multiple games within 2 or 3 days you are more physically able to recover quickly. For the most part these guys are playing almost every other day already. That is why you hear about players "taking a night off". It isn't because they are lazy, but because they just can't play that many games in such a compact schedule.

While it really has no importance to this thread, as a life-long bowler, I have to say that competitive, especially professional bowling, is a very taxing game. I won't say it's comparable to the NBA or NFL, but it's an entirely different game than when you go bowling with your friends to goof around and have a beer.

Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

Millions of Americans who work labor intensive jobs eight hours a day, five days a week are calling BS on the inability of professional athletes to go play an hour of basketball after playing 2 hours the night before.

Yes, because the fact that millions of Americans work labor intensive jobs eight hours/day automatically increases the stamina of NBA players...

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Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

As much as I can't stand Stern, I agree with him. You can't just send your players back home for some PTO in the NBA - especially not on a night when the game is nationally televised.

As far as Pop resting his players is concerned, it doesn't really seem to make much of a difference in the long run. Ginobilli always gets hurt and misses his regular 10-20 games each year and they haven't made it to the finals in more than 5 years.

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Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

I have started to reply to some of these posts and had to stop multiple times. What I have realized is that both Stern and Pop were doing the right thing to maintain the success of their portion of the business. No one is really right or wrong here, it is actually more of a matter of a opinion than anything. Put yourself in both of their shoes and you can completely understand why they think the way that they do.

I personally feel that unless it directly violates an NBA rule or regulation, the Spurs should not be punished. I mean they almost won the game, how wrong can they be? The only other thing I wanted to mention is that you cannot simply compare regular jobs to NBA players' jobs. Professional athletes are the best at what they do and in a game defined by one thing, the W column, players need to give 100% every night if possible. If team A has played 4 in 5 nights, and team B has had multiple days off before they meet head to head, it is obvious to anyone that team A's 100% wont be as good as the other team's. Skill level and age can change that but in the Spurs' case it is obvious they would have been outmatched against the Heat most nights. If any professional team had to play say 7 games in 7 days, it is only logical that they might dip in energy level and stamina with each game. If they played new teams that had a week off each night, it becomes clear that a disadvantage would be present.

It isn't that professional athletes can't play as often as we think, it is that they can't play at as high of a level as their opponent when the games are bunched together as they are. Always playing against more rested opponents leads to more losses, lower seed, and lower chance of ultimate success in the long run. It is not as simple as "professional athletes should be in good enough shape to play that many games in a stretch." They definitely are able to do it, just not as well against a well-rested, ready opponent.

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Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

This could have all been avoided had Pops not made the big dramatic step of sending them home. Dress them and don't play them if you want but yea, they should at least be in the building.

Also let's stow the "bandwagon" comments. People have a right to pick and choose what games they pay to go see. I happen to have full season tickets but if I were to pick and choose games I can assure you I would not be paying to see the Raptors or Wizards or Bobcats (even though right now they have a better record than us). I would be like anyone else and paying to see the stars. Please don't act like that is a new concept btw, I can show you a photo from the 50's of the marquee of MSG showing the Knicks vs. George Mikan.

Also what does an 82 game schedule have anything to do with this? I mean if it was something new or if it had been around for 5 or even 10 years that would be one thing but this schedule dates back to the 60's. I mean don't get me wrong I would like the NBA to have set nights of the week as well and if it meant a few less games than so be it but this isn't new.

But like I said in the very beginning, all the Spurs would have had to do was not send them home.

Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

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Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

Stern has noone to blame for this but himself. The NBA's scheduling is just ridiculous. Stern's attempts to squeeze every last dollar out of the sport by squeezing as many games as possible into a season is directly related to the amount of injuries and missed games each year. Stern should fine himself for all the stars missing games right now because of injuries.

Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

I think Pop has every right to protest the league's scheduling. In February they are slotted for a 9 nine game road trip, so they only play 2 home games that entire month.

The Spurs have one of those road trips every single year due to their building being used for a rodeo. The Bulls do the same thing for a circus. It's actually something that they work with the league to make sure they get no home games during the time.

Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

Also what does an 82 game schedule have anything to do with this? I mean if it was something new or if it had been around for 5 or even 10 years that would be one thing but this schedule dates back to the 60's. I mean don't get me wrong I would like the NBA to have set nights of the week as well and if it meant a few less games than so be it but this isn't new.

It might not be something new, but if there wasn't an 82 game schedule there wouldn't be a need to have 4 games in 5 nights. If there weren't 4 games in 5 nights the Spurs wouldn't be resting their star players.

Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

Stern has noone to blame for this but himself. The NBA's scheduling is just ridiculous. Stern's attempts to squeeze every last dollar out of the sport by squeezing as many games as possible into a season is directly related to the amount of injuries and missed games each year. Stern should fine himself for all the stars missing games right now because of injuries.

You say this as if Stern introduced the 82 game season. It was around long before he was the commisioner.

I really like the 82 game season, but then I actually like watching competitive regular season games more than postseason games due to how nervous I get for playoff games lol.

Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

The Spurs have one of those road trips every single year due to their building being used for a rodeo. The Bulls do the same thing for a circus. It's actually something that they work with the league to make sure they get no home games during the time.

That's true but that's also the reason that they are pissed off that they had to play most of their November on the road as well.

Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

4 road games in 5 days made sense with last seasons condensed schedule. But it doesn't with a normal 82 game schedule. Now 1 day off then a 5th road game is 7 days while the Heat had 4 days at home between games? Guess being Champs gets you perks besides calls in games.

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Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

I definitely see both sides of it, I don't think it's as big a deal as it's in the process of being blown up to be, but it's a lose/lose for both sides really. Whether anyone likes it the league has a responsibility to do what they can to put the best product on the floor, that's what gets those billion dollar TV deals and all the advertising, which is obviously what makes the league possible in the first place. That's where Stern's coming from, and if you think it's overzealous or not, that's his responsibility and he's trying to make it happen in such a blatant case.

Pop's reasons are obvious. 4 games in 5 nights, another on Saturday, old roster (except Danny Green, c'mon Pop). It sucks fans won't get to see some great players one night, but his job as a Spurs employee is to put them in the best position to win a title and giving guys a rest day on a long road trip helps that, in theory at least.

It sucks for both sides but I understand both sides. I don't think anyone should be fined/suspended, but I do think Pop and Stern should hash it out. And put that on pay per view.

"Sanctions" is real ballsy move though. What's the difference between this, if Stern's going to go the "apologizing to the fans" route, and tons of guys sitting the last few games when the playoffs are decided. It gives the implication that certain regular season games are more important than others, which is obviously true, but it's not going to do much to help the perception of your league.

Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

4 road games in 5 days made sense with last seasons condensed schedule. But it doesn't with a normal 82 game schedule. Now 1 day off then a 5th road game is 7 days while the Heat had 4 days at home between games? Guess being Champs gets you perks besides calls in games.

Build a 1230 game schedule and see how easy it is to give out equal amounts of rest.

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Re: Spurs to be punished for resting players

I don't really understand any complaining about an imbalance of rest between teams or an imbalance in home/away games. Because when a team has a more compact schedule in one week, it means they will have another weak that is a very light schedule. When a team has a lot of road games bunched together, it means they have a lot of home games bunched together somewhere else.

Since every team plays the same number of games and every team has the same amount of home/road games within the same time period, every team will have a rest and/or home court advantage for half the year.

Personally, the fact that the schedule ISN'T completely balanced means you get neat little story lines about which teams are strong in the face of tough scheduling and gives a place for stat splits to be used when comparing teams. Honestly, it makes things more interesting. The NFL doesn't have that, but since each game is weighted so much heavier you're not missing anything there.